'Christians' and Contrasts

I was impressed this week with the stark contrast in two separate shows we watched, between characters portrayed to be ‘Christians.’ The first program was a fictional show in which the characters were reacting in ways that should not be characteristic of Christians. Due to the unjust actions of a greedy man many people were being forced off their properties. After finding out they could do nothing to stop this man from taking over their land, the people reacted in a most un-Christlike manner. They even took the drastic measure of blowing up all the businesses in the little town they once so dearly loved. Their revenge being complete, they marched out of the once thriving little town singing ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’ Yet, their behavior was anything but ‘Christian.’ These characters displayed anger, bitterness, malice and lack of self- control in their actions- with no sign of repentance. Even though this was a fictional story, the reactions to their situation were very true to life. It is a natural reaction to display anger and bitterness at being wronged-- a natural reaction for a sinful people. However, if we desire, in obedience to God, to display a super-natural response to being unjustly treated, we need to obey scripture’s teaching which tells us to, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). In Colossians we are admonished to put off the old self and put on the new self- which is in Christ. “you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:8-10).

The second program we watched (this week) was based on a true story. The evil character, in this program set in the second century, was not fictional and he was not merely after a man’s property. He was after his life. The Proconsul of the Roman Empire determined to put an end to the life of a very old man by the name of Polycarp-- when he refused to acknowledge Caesar as Lord. When Polycarp, bishop to Smyrna, was about to be taken away for execution, his response to the unjust action was totally opposite to that of the characters in the first program. Polycarp acted in a calm and Christ-like manner toward his executioners. He offered the men food after their journey and then he excused himself to pray. He then left peaceabley with the soldiers who led him away to his death. Polycarp displayed true Christian character forgiving the men who were about to take his life, just as Christ also freely forgave those who mistreated him. Colossians 3:12-14 reads, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

The characters in the first program took revenge on a man who was evil and treated them wrongly. Yet they failed to see the evilness in their own actions. Romans 12:19 reads “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” In contrast to the characters in the first program Polycarp repaid with kindness and compassion those who mistreated him. Let us never deceive ourselves into thinking we are doing good by returning evil for evil, no matter how badly mistreated we may feel. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 reads, “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”

I think it is important to continually examine our own lives in the light of scripture to see how we measure up. There are good lessons to be learned from watching such programs and good lessons to be taught to our children. Whenever we come across a situation where characters in a movie, book, or real life profess to be Christian, yet behave in a way that is anything but Christlike, it is a good opportunity to steer our children toward the scriptures and the truth of our Lord’s teaching. Our children need to know, (as do we), that whenever we behave toward another (whether friend or foe) in a way that is contrary to scripture’s teaching we are not behaving in a Christian manner. This extends even to one's own family members who may behave as an enemy.

It is easy to love those who treat us well, but the words of Jesus’ are, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:27-36). AMEN

Does God Answer-- All Prayers?

In thinking about prayers, and whether there is such a thing as an unanswered prayer or a prayer that God will not hear, we must go to the scriptures. The answers are there. Consider the following passages, which clearly address this matter. We learn, to begin with, that God will not hear and answer the prayers of the wicked. In Proverbs 15:8 we read, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him,” and Proverbs 15:29 reads “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

Also… we can be assured that if we ever pray in the following ways our prayers will not be answered, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:5). “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8). “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14). 2 Kings 22: 18-19 reads, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, …………..I also have heard you, declares the Lord.”

There are actually passages that tell us God will not hear certain prayers. Jeremiah 7:16 reads,“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.” Jeremiah 11:9-11 reads, “Again the Lord said to me, “A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers. Therefore, thus says the Lord, Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them.” Isaiah 1:15 reads, When you spread out your hands I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers I will not listen.”

Other than the prayer of a repentant sinner, the prayers of the righteous are the only prayers God chooses to hear and answer. The only One who is truly righteous, of course, is Christ himself. Thankfully, the bible tells us that Christ intercedes for those who are his. In 1 John 2:1 John writes, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous..” Luke 22:31-32 gives us a good example of Christ’s interceding for us when he speaks to Peter before the crucifixion. “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” In Romans 8:27 we read that “the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

In lieu of this, we must pray according to God’s will, but many times we do not. In James 4:2-3 we read, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Not only do we ask wrongly, but we also act wrongly-- and that inevitably affects the results of our prayers. Psalm 66:18 reads, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” This verse clearly indicates that the state of our hearts determines whether or not God hears our prayers. 1 Peter 3:7 gives the following admonishment to husbands, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

We know from scripture that prayers/requests which are not in accord with the Father’s will are not answered in a positive manner. Jesus, the Righteous, prayed in earnest “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done,” (Luke 42:22). The Father’s answer to this request from His Son was clearly NO. In Isaiah 53:9-10 we read, “..although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him.” We know God had a higher purpose in refusing his own innocent Son the request asked of him. Because of this we should be able to understand that He also has a greater purpose in denying US (sinful as we are) the requests we sometimes make.

Although it is not wrong to pray for things such as health, healing, provisions, etc., we cannot presume upon God to give us what we ask for if any one or all of these things are not according to his purpose and plan for our lives. He knows what is best for us and we must trust him in this. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). In this passage God was speaking to people who were going into exile and would spend their whole lives in exile. These plans God had for His people would be fulfilled in a spiritual prospering -which ultimately is in eternity. He is our loving Heavenly Father and he has promised to work through all the circumstances of our lives (whether good or bad) for our good and His glory. We can always trust that God will be true to his word, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him” (2 Samuel 22:31). May we determine to pray rightly and with a heart that is right before God. Then we can be assured that He will hear and answer our prayers-- according to His will and for our good and His glory.

Rejoice- Always?

 

In thinking on the desire to do God’s will, it is important to consider what God’s word tells us about His will for our lives. Even though we cannot know God’s future will for us, we can know His present will for us as believers. We can know that we must be joyful, prayerful and thankful Christians today and every day for 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This is far easier said than done however. It is not too difficult for us as believers to be prayerful, however to be thankful and joyful…..in everything? It is easy to be thankful and joyful when things are going the way we want them to, but what about when the circumstances of our lives are such that we are tempted to give in to discouragement and even depression? These are the times when we must even more earnestly seek the Lord. David does this in Psalm 51:12, when he says “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

What is the joy of our salvation? It is the fact of knowing that God is sovereign and in complete control. It is knowing that our loving Heavenly Father wants what is best for us, and He is working things out to that end. He is making us more like Christ through the process of sanctification, which involves hardships and trials. James writes “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Reading, believing and acting in such a way as to display a complete trust in the truth of God’s teachings, (regardless of how we feel) is the best way to promote prayerful, thankful and even joyful lives. We are reminded in God’s word that he has a plan for each of his children. Jeremiah 29:11 reads “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” We must trust that God is in control and that He is working through all things for our good, as the familiar verse in Romans 8:28 affirms, and verse 29 reads “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” God is working to conform us to the image of Christ as we walk in step with His Spirit, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:28-29).

If Paul could look on all his trials as ‘light momentary afflictions’, we should be able to do the same through our own struggles and trials. I doubt any of us could have survived what he went through. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 we read of Paul’s hardships, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” And yet, he could pen the following words in 2 Corinthians 4;16-17, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

We must believe with Paul that our earthly afflictions are momentary and that one day we will be fully perfected in Christ. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13). This is where our true joy comes from.. knowing that our loving Heavenly Father is doing what is best for us. Not through fulfilling our earthly desires, but by giving us hearts that desire to live in the light of eternity as we become more and more like our Savior,. And so we can truly “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

6 Common Reasons God Does Not Answer Our Prayers

This was such a good series on Prayer that I obtained permission to post it here on my blog. The links to each of the articles are available at the end of this post.

June 15, 2017 by Paul Tautges

Sometimes we’re tempted to wonder if God can hear. After months or even years of praying over a particular person or situation, we look for evidence God is getting our message or even paying attention, and we can’t find much. Why is that? Why do the heavens sometimes seem like brass? Doesn’t God love us and care for us? Isn’t he all-powerful?


The phrase brass heavens has its origins in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. It was part of God’s warning to his chosen people Israel, a promised consequence of neglecting to obey his commands. As the nation prepared to enter the Promised Land, we find this among the curses for disobedience given by Moses: “And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron” (Deuteronomy 28:23; KJV). Most recent translations use “bronze” instead of “brass,” but the meaning is the same. Admittedly, this verse in its context has nothing to do with prayer. Rather, it is a warning from God that periods of drought would be one of the many consequences of Israel’s rebellion. The skies would appear promising, but the heavy layer of clouds would bring forth no rain. As a result, the ground would dry up and become like iron, impossible to cultivate. For a society that survived largely by agriculture, this was nothing short of a disaster.

So while the verse is not about prayer, brass heavens nevertheless became a common expression among Christians because it describes so well the silence of God—the drought of unanswered prayer and the famine-like spiritual unfruitfulness that believers sometimes experience. Like the people who originally adapted the phrase, I selected the phrase as a title of one of my books on prayer because I like the analogy.
God has a good and holy purpose for these periods of silence. He wants to test our faith that we might see for ourselves just how weak and dependent we are on him for all good things. His goal is nothing less than to heighten our spiritual sensitivities in order to draw us into more intimate fellowship and faithful obedience with him.


In the book, Brass Heavens, we explore in depth six reasons our prayers often go unanswered. Therefore, I want to take the next week to explain each of these reasons in brief form. Here’s where we will be going, here are the Scriptural reasons we will examine.

1. Pet Sins The Problem with Pet Sins
2. Neglected Duties Why Refusing to Resolve Conflict Hinders Prayer
3. Religious Sins Religious Sins
4. Inconsiderate Husbands How a Husband’s Failure Short-Circuits His Prayers
5. Stubborn Pride Stubbornness Closes God’s Ears
6. Testing Our Faith Unanswered Prayer Is a Means to Test Our Faith

If you would like to look up the link to Paul Taugtes writings you can find it here;

Counseling One Another

Not My Will, but Yours Be Done

Why do we feel disillusioned and discouraged when God does not respond to our prayers in the way (and timing) we would like him to? Perhaps it is because we do not understand, that in order to receive an affirmative response to our requests, we must be praying according to God’s will. If Jesus’ prayer to the Father was not answered in an affirmative way, why would we ever think our prayers should be answered in the way we want them to be?

Jesus, being God, knew that great suffering awaited him, and in his humanity, he dreaded it. In Luke 22:44 we read, “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” This took place after an angel came to strengthen Him upon his prayer to the Father, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done,” (Luke 42:22). The Father’s answer to this request from His Son was clearly NO. In Isaiah 53:9-10 we read, “..although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him.”

Being fully human we do not know what lies ahead for us; however, we do know that as God’s people, we will be required to suffer, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17). We must face our suffering (whether it be persecution, sickness or trial) as Jesus did. Even when situations become extremely difficult, we must pray as our Lord did. In our weakness, we will naturally desire an end to each difficulty and will want everything made right-- but if we truly desire God’s will to be done, we will pray to our Heavenly Father, “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). God…and ONLY God…knows what is best in each of our circumstances. We must believe and hold to this, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life, (John 3:16).

The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world and yet, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted,” (Isaiah 53:3-4). As followers of Christ, we must understand that Jesus has suffered all for us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). When in distress and sorrow, we can go to him and cast all our cares upon Him. 1 Peter 5:7 reads, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

It is proper to pray in times of trial and even to ask that God would relieve our suffering and put to right things that are wrong, but we must never presume upon God to answer our prayers in the affirmative, for this may not be His will. It is also appropriate to persevere in prayer until we are given an answer one way or the other being mindful of the parable in Luke 18, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). If we do not have the following words of Jesus imprinted upon our memory, we should do so, “Pray then like this, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:9-10). Yes, indeed, Heavenly Father, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Showing God's Love = Submission

How do we show God’s love, God’s way? It stands to reason that in order to do this, we must submit to God’s instructions as set forth in His word. We will not always feel like showing love toward others. This is why we must submit to the Father’s will through our obedience, and thereby strive to display His love regardless of how we feel.

Jesus is a perfect example of this teaching. He showed His love to others based on His submission to the Father’s will rather than his feelings or emotions. Luke 22:41-44 gives us a little insight into Jesus’ feelings before the crucifixion, “And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” This does not sound like a man who was willing to die on behalf of one or many because of the strong feelings of emotions He had for them. Jesus was fully man and fully God. He experienced pain and temptation like any other human, and yet was without sin. As he faced the cross, Jesus knew he was about to face the full brunt of God’s wrath for the sins of His people. From a human stand point, He abhorred the prospect, but due to His desire to submit to the Father’s will, He acted in obedience, regardless of how he felt,“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” We must be willing to follow in our Lord’s example“.. if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:20-21).

True Christ-like love displays to others the balanced message of the gospel, which shows both God’s great love and His wrath against sin. The greatest picture of the gospel message is displayed for us through the cross of Christ, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:8-9). The cross is a portrayal of both God’s love and His wrath against sin. If we show others a love that denies either of these truths of the gospel, then we are displaying a distortion of God’s love.

If we have experienced God’s love, it will show itself through a desire to submit to the Father’s will, no matter what the cost. It is a travesty that so many have the distorted idea that, because He does not allow them to remain in their sin, God is not kind and loving. This fact, in actuality, confirms the very love of God! This is why “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent...” (Acts 17:30). To repent is to turn from sin and turn to righteousness, “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live...”(Ezekiel 33:11). However, all men will not repent. Many will choose to remain in their sin and be angry with God for not accepting them the way they are. This shows they have no desire to obey God, nor even experience His love. Their pride keeps them from it. Scripture tells us that, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Those who choose to remain in their sin show that they have no fear of God whatsoever, “And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).

Let us be as accurate as possible in our portrayal of God’s love to others -- by having nothing to do with what God hates. “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Proverbs 8:13), These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

If we have nothing to do with what God hates, then we must have everything to do with what God loves, “For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds,” (Psalm 11:7), “He loves righteousness and justice” (Psalm 33:5).

As those who have experienced the love of God within our own hearts (if we truly have), let us be submissive to the Father’s will, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

Obedience is Necessary to Belief

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote an excellent book entitled, The Cost Of Discipleship. In it, he explains the importance of our obedience so well. Mr. Bonhoeffer makes the following statement, “The idea of a situation in which faith is possible is only a way of stating the facts of a case in which the following two propositions hold good and are equally true: only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.” He goes on to give an illustration: “We must take a definite step.....we can only take this step aright if we fix our eyes not on the work we do, but on the word with which Jesus calls us to do it. Peter knows he dare not climb out of the ship in his own strength-his very first step would be his undoing. And so he cries, “Lord, bid me come to thee upon the waters,” and Jesus answers: “Come.” Christ must first call him, for the step can only be taken at his word. This call is his grace, which calls him out of death into the new life of obedience. But when once Christ has called him, Peter has no alternative- he must leave the ship and come to him. In the end, the first step of obedience proves to be an act of faith in the word of Christ. But we should completely misunderstand the nature of grace if we were to suppose that there was no need to take that first step, because faith was already there. Against that we must boldly assert that the step of obedience must be taken before faith can be possible. Unless he obeys, a man cannot believe.”

I was reminded once again of how I had (unknowingly) been in unbelief. I had lived my life as a 'professing Christian' for many years, (from the time I was 12 years old) yet, even as an adult, continued to experience such a bondage to sin within my heart that I was never content. Realizing something was very wrong with my life, I felt helpless to correct my situation. Even though I believed myself to be a Christian, I knew my life was not what it should be. It was not until I understood my dilemma through listening to good balanced sermons online, repented of my sin, (and determined to take those steps of obedience in the areas I recognized that I was living contrary to God's word in)- that I could truly experience the 'gift of faith' God had blessed me with, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast"(Ephesians 2:8-9).

Going on here, Mr. Bonhoeffer asks the following question: “Are you worried because you find it so hard to believe? No one should be surprised at the difficulty of faith, if there is some part of his life where he is consciously resisting or disobeying the commandment of Jesus. Is there some part of your life which you are refusing to surrender at his behest, some sinful passion, maybe, or some animosity, some hope, perhaps your ambition or your reason? If so, you must not be surprised that you have not received the Holy Spirit, that prayer is difficult, or that your request for faith remains unanswered. Go rather and be reconciled with your brother, renounce the sin which holds you fast- and then you will recover your faith! If you dismiss the word of God's command, you will not receive his word of grace. How can you hope to enter into communion with him when at some point in your life you are running away from him? The man who disobeys cannot believe, for only he who obeys can believe.”

“..faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead; For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead,” (James 2:17, 26).

"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified" (Romans 2:13). May we be doers of God's word and not merely those who hear and believe.

 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). Obedience is essential to belief, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him,” (John 3:36).